Wall offers alternative climate change plan

Wall offers alternative climate change plan

Carbon capture investments expected to play major role

Premier Brad Wall will make a case for his plan to fight climate change Tuesday, and offer an alternative approach to the one being put forward by the federal government.

He will make a presentation at the Conexus Arts Centre as part of a Regina and District Chamber of Commerce luncheon series.

Little is known about what Wall will outline in the plan outside of its general thesis, which the premier has said focuses on the need for a three-pronged approach to address climate change in the province.

In the wake of the federal government announcement that a carbon price would be imposed on the provinces in 2018, Wall told reporters the report — being called a white paper — will focus on three main topics.

The first is reducing the number of domestic emissions in the province. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatchewan’s emissions of greenhouse gases increased nine per cent between 2005 and 2014. Much of that increase is due to more oil and gas activity in the province.

Wall is also expected to argue provinces need to start adapting to climate change more readily. In speaking to reporters, the premier has used, as an example, the mandate given by his government to SaskPower to move to 50 per cent renewable energy sources by 2030.

His white paper — a term used when describing formal government reports or proposals — will likely also explore funding technological solutions to address climate issues. Notably for Wall, that includes investing in technology such as SaskPower’s $1.5-billion carbon-capture project at Boundary Dam 3, which according to the province is providing electricity to about 100,000 homes 10 times cleaner than other coal units.

The plant has been in operation since 2014. The oft-criticized project is working now after many delays.

It is expected Wall’s plan for addressing climate change in the province will be a stark contrast from the plan being put forward by the federal government, which will see Ottawa establish a “floor price” of $10 a tonne on carbon pollution in 2018 before rising to $50 in 2022.

The premier has long fought against a carbon tax and has been criticized by environmentalists and the opposition NDP for a lack of an alternative plan. With carbon pricing now inevitable, Wall’s plan may be too little too late. Only time will tell how much of the white paper will become the foundation for legislation before the federal government imposes a plan on the province, as they have threatened to do.

Wall said the white paper was in its final draft stages when the federal carbon announcement was made earlier this month.